RAR soldier awarded Victoria Cross for Afghan valour

A Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) soldier who exposed himself to enemy fire to save his comrades during a deadly ambush in Afghanistan has been awarded the Victoria Cross at a ceremony in Canberra.

Corporal Daniel Keighran, who was serving with the 6th Battalion RAR, was recognised for his extreme bravery during the three-and-a-half hour battle which claimed the life of his mate Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney in August 2010.

The medal - Australia's highest military honour - was presented to Corporal Keighran by Governor-General Quentin Bryce at Government House in Canberra this morning.

The citation read out at today's ceremony said Corporal Keighran showed great bravery when a joint Australian-Afghan patrol came under attack in the village of Derapet, Uruzgan Province, on August 24, 2010.

"[The group] was engaged by a prolonged numerically superior and coordinated enemy attack by multiple firing points," it said.

"Corporal Keighran, with complete disregard for his own safety, broke cover on multiple occasions to draw intense and accurate enemy fire to identify enemy locations and direct return fire from Australian and Afghan fire support elements.

"During one of these occasions when his patrol sustained a casualty, again on his own initiative and in an act of exceptional courage, he moved from his position of cover to deliberately draw fire away from the team who were treating the casualty.

"Corporal Keighran remained exposed and under heavy fire in order to direct suppressing fire and then assist in the clearing of the landing zone to enable the evacuation of the casualty.

"These deliberate acts of exceptional courage to repeatedly expose himself to accurate and intense enemy fire, thereby placing himself in grave danger, ultimately enabled the identification and suppression of enemy firing positions."

The award is the 99th Victoria Cross to be awarded to an Australian soldier, and the third award since the Australian Victoria Cross was gazetted in 1991.

Defence Force Chief General David Hurley described how enemy bullets "bit into the dirt" at Corporal Keighran's feet as he broke cover.

"Battles are frightening, confusing and confronting yet there are also moments of crystal clarity," he said.

"From the moment the partner patrol entered the village of Derapet, it was engaged by insurgents from multiple positions.

"As we have heard, with little regard for his own safety, Corporal Daniel Keighran deliberately and repeatedly drew intense enemy fire away from other members of the patrol and despite the enemy [fire] biting into the dirt at his feet, he returned fire and provided critical information about the insurgents' positions.

"The contact at Derapet was amongst the most intense we have witnessed in Afghanistan. Our diggers showed extraordinary bravery and dedication to duty," he added.

"Sadly, the contact at Derapet came at a cost. Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney was killed in action and Corporal Keighran deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire to assist with his comrade's evacuation."

Corporal Keighran, who is now in the Army Reserve and works in a gold mine at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, said he learned he would receive the VC in a letter delivered to him at the town's airport.

But he said he only told his wife the full story about the battle 13 days ago.

"It's not that I couldn't talk about it but I'm quite private in that regard and what we did overseas. It's for the boys and for me," he said.

"Obviously she's been brought into the loop now and let me say she wasn't impressed to start with, but it's all good now."

He said he had been a "good mate" of Corporal MacKinney.

Ms Bryce told Corporal Keighran she was delighted to award him the "precious medal".

Victoria Cross by conflict

One hundred Australians have received the Victoria Cross, including newest recipient Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird. Here is a breakdown of the number of VCs by conflict.

Conflict

VCs

Boer War

6

World War I

64

North Russia

2 [1]

World War II

20

Vietnam

4

Afghanistan

4 [3]

Often counted in First World War figures

As of February 13, 2014

Source: Australian War Memorial

"We see a man of profound physical and moral strength, a man selfless in the face of threat, courageous in the face of terror, generous in the face of suffering and humble in the face of an honour bestowed," she said.

"Though few of us can fathom it, we see you there in your kit, thinking, running, drawing enemy fire, shepherding and leading, protecting others ahead of yourself again and again and again.

"Not until you are exhausted or too terrified to risk another move - but until the job was done."

"You don't need to be a religious person to understand the force of the words that greater love have no man than to lay down his life for his friends," she said.

"You showed your preparedness to lay down your life for your mates."

Mr Abbott called said Corporal Keighran was among "the best of the best, the bravest of the brave".

Before today 98 Australian soldiers, in a line dating back to the Boer War of 1899-1902, had received the VC.

All Victoria Crosses are cast from the same cannon, captured from Russian forces during the Crimean War, and the one which was awarded to Corporal Keighran today only arrived from the jewellers in London this morning.

Corporal Keighran was serving in Afghanistan with 6RAR, which is based at Gallipoli Barracks in the Brisbane suburb of Enoggera.

He was born in Nambour, Queensland, in 1983, and joined the Army in 2000.

He served in East Timor and Iraq before his first tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2007.